What precautions should you take before beginning repairs on a microwave feed horn or waveguide?

Microwave frequencies can cause severe tissue heating, much like how a household microwave oven cooks food. Exposure to high-power RF energy from an active feed horn or waveguide can cause permanent eye damage, deep tissue burns, and other severe injuries. The most critical safety precaution before performing any maintenance on microwave equipment is ensuring that the transmitter is completely turned off and physically disconnected from its power source to prevent accidental activation. While wearing gloves to protect against sharp edges is generally good practice, choosing that option ignores the far more dangerous and invisible hazard of RF radiation. Propagation conditions and weather are completely irrelevant to the immediate physical safety of the technician.